Alkali Metal Physical Properties Program at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft-CANEL (open access)

Alkali Metal Physical Properties Program at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft-CANEL

The favorable combination of physical properties such as heat capacity, viscosity, electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity and high temperature liquid range make alkali metals, in principle, among the best heat transfer fluids available for use in nuclear reactor and other esoteric powerplant systems. Unfortunately, many of these properties are not known with sufficient certainty in the high temperature region to permit optimization of design criteria for developing maximum efficiency coolant systems. For this reason, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft-CANEL, have been concerned for some time in extending the physical properties data of alkali liquid metals in the high temperature region. A supplemental program is being initiated to study some of the properties of alkali metals in the gas phase. This information is required for designing systems where the alkali vapor is the working fluid. In addition, programs are under way to study the solubility of noble gases in alkali liquid metals and wetting characteristics of these liquid metals with structural materials.
Date: June 15, 1962
Creator: Kapelner, S. M. & Cleary, Robert E., 1920-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bonding of Tantalum (open access)

Bonding of Tantalum

Technical report describing the investigation undertaken to determine the necessary requirements for obtaining sound bonded joints on tantalum. Corrosion and Mass Transfer Loops LTTN 237A and 427 called for fabrication of 430 stainless steel clad tantalum tubing. Since there was little or no experience at welding this material at CANEL, specimens were welded using vacuum chambers and plastic chambers as normally used for loop fabrication. Resistance welding was performed without the use of a special atmosphere producing sound bonds.
Date: June 17, 1959
Creator: Rogers, S. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Refractory Metals as Alkali Liquid Metal Containment Materials (open access)

Refractory Metals as Alkali Liquid Metal Containment Materials

Abstract. Refractory metals and their alloys are good container materials for alkali metal coolants. Thermodynamics of interaction with contaminants have been correlated with experimental test and show the need for high purity materials. Structural metal solubility data to 1600F can be used to correlate and predict engineering systems.
Date: June 15, 1962
Creator: Cleary, Robert E., 1920-
System: The UNT Digital Library